Iron Man: Kindergarten Adventures
by Soap Lady
Summary: This is what I've been doing instead of writing anything serious. Pure Warm and Fluffy Fic.
1. Part One

_Author's Note_: _Hey guys. I was feeling a bit burned out so I decided to go a bit whimsical. Hope you enjoy. Special thanks once again to my cranky Muse, Fluffle._

**Iron Man: Kindergarten Adventures**

Tony Stark bounced excitedly in his seat, eagerly looking out of the window. "Are we there yet, Mommy?"

In the front seat Maria Stark smiled into the rear view mirror. "Just another couple of blocks, sweetie. We're almost there."

It was the boy's first day of kindergarten and he was excited. His mommy insisted on driving him herself in her Volvo rather than having a driver do it. Daddy was supposed to be here too, but he had to go to a boring old meeting with Whitney's daddy. Yuck.

The tires slowed to a halt, grinding the gravel beneath them. Maria put the car in park and came around to the passenger door to help her son with his seat belt. The boy had managed to unbuckle the buckle yet caught his arm in the shoulder strap. She hid a smile as she helped him untangle it and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before handing him his lunch.

He leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "Why do I have to go to school, Mommy? I'm smarter than any of those kids. I can do...math and science and stuff. What else do I have to know?"

She smiled down at his earnest expression. "You need to have friends too, sweetie. Friends who aren't grown ups. Friends who can play and finger paint and have music class with."

The future hero looked down at his hands. "But...what if they don't like me?"

The uncertainty and self doubt in her son's voice made Maria's heart ache. "They'll love you. Just let them get to know you. Besides, you won't be alone. Rhodey will be here too."

Tony perked up at hearing his best friend's name and instantly felt reassured. He gave his mommy a big loving hug and sauntered his way towards his classroom.

* * *

"There's nothing to be worried about, James. All you have to do is listen to your teacher and be on your best behavior. The kids will like you once they get to know you. But your number one priority is to get a good education. Can't get into West Point with bad grades, can you?"

Little James "Rhodey" Rhodes nodded solemnly up at his hero, his dad, David. David Rhodes was a decorated Navy pilot, one of the youngest to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor and well-respected by all who knew him. Rhodey wanted to grow up to be a hero like his dad. To protect everything and everyone he cared about from bad people and serve his country.

Rhodey slung his bag over his shoulder. His father had had it made for him so it looked like a miniature duffel bag. It contained his school supplies, his lunch and a medical kit. Couldn't be to careful.

David Rhodes stood up straight and barked. "Ten-HUT!"

Rhodey snapped to attention and saluted his father, who saluted back.

Fighting a grin, David gave his son a high five and said, "Listen to your teacher and make sure you look out for Tony Stark. He doesn't make friends as easily as you do, son. Take care of him."

Rhodey nodded, accepting protecting Tony Stark as his solemn duty. "I will, Dad."

"Dismissed."

Rhodey turned smartly on his heel and walked towards the school. David watched proudly until his son was out of sight, ignoring his mixed emotions as he started the car.

* * *

"Do I have to search your bag for handcuffs, young lady?"

"No, ma'am."

Virginia Potts sighed and reached for her daughter's bag anyway. It was hard enough to get leave to see her daughter off to school. General Fury was a tough boss and it was only that an assignment she was working on wrapped up ahead of schedule that she managed.

She reached into her daughter's bag and pulled out a night vision scope and a few listening devices but as promised, no handcuffs. She sighed and handed the device-free bag back to her disappointed daughter.

"Patricia..."

"Yes, Mommy?"

Virginia gave her only child a stern glare. "I don't want to receive a call saying you were expelled on your first day for trying to arrest anyone, understand?"

The red haired girl shook her head quickly and changed the subject. "Where's Daddy?"

"He's on assignment. He told me to tell you if he told you, he'd have to kill you." Virginia told her daughter with mock seriousness.

Patricia "Pepper" Potts' eyes goggled for a minute then she broke out into giggles. "Silly Daddy."

Virginia's mouth twitched as she fought to suppress a smile. "Yeah. Silly Daddy. Now get to class, young lady."

Pepper hugged her mother and raced inside. "Bye, Mommy! I love you!"

Virginia waved back and then fired up her jet pack and was on her way back to work.

The little girl watched her mother's departure with proud, shining eyes. "That's gonna be ME someday," she whispered.

* * *

Temugin Khan sat up straight in his seat, posture perfect as he arrived at his new school. He did not react as his limo driver put the vehicle into park and came around to his side to open the door. He slid out gracefully without assistance. The young heir to his ancestor's legacy did not see the point of his attending Tomorrow Elementary. He could continue his education with the help of private tutors. His stepfather decided it was important he learn to interact with children his age; Temugin interpreted this to mean Zhang wanted him to make important contacts with the children of important business leaders. This would keep him out from underfoot _and _benefit the false Mandarin's interests. It filled him with shame to admit the cleverness of his enemy's plan but the boy vowed not to appear rebellious lest he incur his stepfather's-he refused to think of the usurper as The Mandarin-'s considerable wrath. He kept his expression blank; he did not know what the driver would report back to her employer.

The driver handed him his belongings and bowed, whispering as she did so. "Master Khan. We of the Tong wish you great success in your education and are at your disposal should you need assistance. Tread cautiously, _shao zhu_. Outsiders are not to be trusted."

Temugin grasped the secret message she was attempting to convey; he had allies even among the Tong who wished him well and warned him to tread carefully. He nodded at her.

"Understood. You may go."

She bowed again and closed the door behind him before sliding behind the wheel and departing. He trudged his way towards the school, easily following the gaudy signs.

_This is idiotic. What does that old fool think he's doing? There is nothing for me to learn among the _bak gwai..."

A flash of color caught his eye and he noticed the little girl in front of him had hair as red as the dragons that once decorated the robes of emperors.

_I will tolerate this. For now._

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

"Hey, it's Winnie! Hi, Winnie!"

Whitney Stane, "Winnie" to her friends was already sitting at a quad, a set of four desks pushed together to form a square and beckoned to Tony Stark. Tony smiled down at her and indicated Rhodey. "This is my other friend, James Rhodes. You can call him Rhodey."

"Hi, Rhodey." Winnie grinned at Rhodey, who smiled shyly at her. She held out a hand toward the empty desks. "Sit with me."

The two boys smiled and sat down, putting their school things away.

Temugin looked around for the quad with the least amount of other children and found one occupied by only two others; the pretty girl with red hair and a husky rectangle of a boy dressed in green.

The girl smiled and it was like the sun itself shone through her. "Hi! I'm Pepper Potts! What's your name?"

Temugin hesitated. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if she were named for the spice or the soda. "I'm...Temugin."

She had the audacity to giggle at him. "Tiny Gene? That's a weird name. It's kinda neat though, Tiny Gene."

The Chinese boy bristled. He should have known she was too dumb to pronounce his name. Zhang said all Western women had heads stuffed with cotton and the desire for decadent shoes. He could see his stepfather was not completely wrong.

"That's _not _my name!" he yelled at her a little louder than he intended. The whole class turned and stared at him. So much for not being noticed.

The girl's eyes filled with tears and she got up and grabbed her still full book bag, stalking off. Rhodey grabbed her arm and told her she could sit across from him. Winnie seemed pleased to have another girl to talk to in case the boys started talking about cars and stuff.

Temugin slunk into his seat, feeling disgusted with himself. He was glad he didn't hit her; that was evil and Zhang was evil, not him. Still, he felt bad for making her cry.

The other boy stared at him. "You yell real loud for a girl. You're pretty. Will you marry me?"

The Chinese boy glared and was glad to see the big stupid boy back away. "I am a boy, not a girl," he said through clenched teeth."

The other boy blinked and then continued talking. "That's okay. Some girls have cooties anyway. We're gonna be friends!"

Temugin slunk lower, sure he was being punished. "Wonderful."

"Nice to meet ya, Tammy Jean! I'm Happy!"

"I'm sure you are."

"No that's my name. It's really Harold, but I don't like it."

"Fine."

"If you're a boy, why do you have girl's name?"

"I don't!"

"Tammy Jean is a girl's name."

"My name is _not,_" Temugin caught himself and stopped before he could say anything else he'd regret. "I'm not talking to you."

"Why?"

"I don't like you."

Before Happy could respond, (or worse, cry), the teacher came into the room. She was young and tall and pretty, with light brown hair pulled into a bun and kind blue eyes. She smiled at the class and half of them fell in love immediately. Most of the other half thought she seemed nice and were reassured. Temugin Khan remained undecided.

"Good morning, class. I'm Tricia Shoicet." She told them as she wrote her name on the board. "Some people have a little trouble pronouncing my name so you can call me Miss Trish. Is that okay?"

The class nodded as one. She smiled and erased the board. "The first thing I'm going to do is take role. Please answer 'here!' when I call your name. Andrew Adair?"

"Here!"

"Cynthia Barker?"

The role went on until it came to the quiet Chinese boy. "Temugin Khan?"

He started. "Yes, Teacher?"

Trish smiled, proud that she'd spent thirty minutes practicing to get the boy's name right and had succeeded. "Are you here, Temugin Khan?"

"Oh! Yes. Here!"

The teacher continued until she reached the last name on her list. "Anthony Stark?"

She was met with silence because the boy was using his new writing tablet to sketch a robotic dog.

"Anthony Stark?"

Rhodey nudged him and he looked up at his exasperated teacher, who had noticed he was inattentive. "Here! But I'm Tony. Tony Stark. Mommy and Daddy only call me Anthony when I'm in trouble."

"And how often is _that_?" Tricia muttered under her breath. "Please put your tablet away until writing time, Tony." She told him and he complied, getting a poke in the ribs from his best friend.

Temugin shook his head. This Stark was looking to be a sad and sorry pupil. No Chinese teacher would put up with such insolence.

Miss Trish smiled at the class again. "I'm sure we're all going to be great friends as we learn a lot together this year. Now, we're going to review the alphabet."

Tony's hand shot up and the teacher was surprised. "Yes, Tony?"

"I already know my alphabet. And I can read and write too! So can Rhodey!" His friend wished the other boy hadn't drawn attention to them and sat lower in his chair.

Miss Trish beamed in approval. "That's wonderful, Tony! You two can help the rest of the class. Would you and Rhodey like to hand out the alphabet charts?"

The two boys were eager to be of help to the pretty teacher and handed out papers to each student. Pepper and Winnie rolled their eyes. Boys were weird.

* * *

Tony found himself enjoying Art Time. Being able to put your hands right in the colors was messy and therefore fun. He looked around to see what his classmates were painting. Most were bent over the large sheet of butcher paper Miss Trish had given them but Happy Hogan stared at his, confused. Finally he dipped his fingers in the paints and began drawing spirals. Tony thought the other boy was nice, but not smart. Which was okay.

Miss Trish strolled between the quads, hands behind her back and looked at all the paintings, offering advice and praise as she went. Finally she came to Tony and his friends' quad.

"And what did you do, Tony?"

Little Tony held up his painting proudly. On the paper was a red and yellow stick figure sailing through a blue sky. "I drew an armored superhero who flies around and helps people!"

"Wonderful! And you, James?"

Rhodey gave his teacher a shy smile. "You can call me 'Rhodey' if you want, Miss Trish. I don't mind."

Miss Trish smiled. "Sure thing, Rhodey. What's your painting about?"

The little boy displayed his picture proudly. "I drew a hero too! But silver!"

The teacher clapped her hands. "Great! You'll grow up to be heroes together! What about you, Patricia?"

"Pepper!"

"...Pepper."

The red head was bouncing up and down in her seat in her eagerness to show the teacher her drawing. Miss Trish privately thought it looked like two flying hunchbacks.

"I'm going to join SHIELD like my mommy! And we'll flying around wearing jet packs and fighting crime!"

Winnie spoke up before the teacher could ask. "I drew me, my mommy and my daddy happy and together for ever and ever!"

The young Stane was especially good at drawing hearts and rainbows and Tricia told her so. "That's so sweet!"

The teacher turned and asked Temugin the same question. He was so absorbed in his work she had to ask him twice before he noticed she was there.

Temugin Khan was obviously talented and she noticed he used a brush instead of his fingers and mixed the paint with water for a watercolor effect. He had even signed his name in Chinese calligraphy. His subject matter, however left much to be desired.

"I'm drawing a dragon eating a bad man." He told her solemnly.

Tricia's expression went from questioning to stern. "Temugin. It is not nice to draw people getting eaten."

The Chinese boy shook his head earnestly. "Oh, no, Teacher. He's not really a person. He's a demon in disguise. His blood is made of acid and bile."

Tricia wanted to argue with him further but he said, "It's the subject of a Chinese legend and and part of my culture."

Miss Trish decided she did not want to get into a culture debate with a five year old and walked away. Happy snickered and nudged the smaller boy. "Good one."

"Hmph."

* * *

Recess was the most wonderful time of day. The children could run screaming around the playground for forty minutes while the teachers could sneak a smoke break, grade papers or in Miss Trish's case, process the weirdness that was her new class. Temugin Khan seemed unnaturally self-aware for his age and Tony Stark...should go to Harvard where he belonged. She sighed and glanced at the schedule, then smiled. It was her turn for recess duty. This should prove interesting.

Pepper, Winnie, Tony, Rhodey, Temugin and Happy all reached the playground at the same time. Unfortunately, they also reached it after everyone else had so they were left with no playground equipment. They were left with their own imaginations, which was considerable.

"What should we play?" Winnie wanted to know.

Tony hopped up to a dirt mound and posed dramatically. "Let's be...superheroes!"

"Yeah!" Pepper raised a fist to the sky. "I'm going to be Jet Girl! And I'll fly around with a jet pack and fight crime!" She turned to Tony and told him, "You'll be Jet Boy!"

Tiny Tony nodded, caught up in the girl's enthusiasm. Temugin hung back and wondered why she didn't ask _him._

Winnie dropped into a classic martial arts crouch. "I'll be...the Black Power Ranger! Fierce! And smart! Kiai!"

Rhodey raised a tentative hand. "Can I be the Red Ranger?"

Winnie smiled at him in approval. She was glad to meet another Power Ranger fan. "Yes you can! We'll be crime fighting partners!"

Meanwhile, Happy was trying to persuade Temugin into becoming a rather...interesting hero.

"But you'd be cute as-"

"No."

"My sister would lend you a tiara-"

"No."

"But-"

"NO! Stop asking me, rectangle boy! I _don't _want to be Wonder Woman!"

Happy's eyes filled with tears at the Chinese boy's harsh words but before he could rush off Pepper stopped him and promised that next time she would be Jean Grey and he could be Cyclops, her husband. He brightened immediately and decided to be Freakazoid.

Temugin was wondering if Pepper would play Robin to his Batman (for some reason he found the brooding, orphaned hero appealing), when Tony pounced on him and said, "You can be Wolverine!" Tony handed the other boy some twigs he had found. "These can be your claws!"

The Chinese boy didn't like putting dirty sticks in-between his fingers but the Stark boy was too convincing to refuse. He dutifully put his 'claws' between his fingers and growled as menacingly as he could.

"Darn." The children turned as they heard an adult voice. Miss Trish stood behind them, her lips drawn down in mock disappointment. "I wanted to be Freakazoid."

The children whispered furtively to each other then glanced up at their teacher. "You can be Freakazoid next recess, Miss Trish." Rhodey answered kindly.

Tricia thought about it for a moment and accepted. "In that case, you'll need a villain. Just call me...Doctor Doom!"

With a roar she began chasing her laughing charges around the playground until Temugin pointed out she was outnumbered and they chased her back. Shrieking with delight, the players enjoyed every minute of their play time and were disappointed when the bell rang to go back inside, Miss Trish most of all. Somewhere on the playground, Tony had picked up a caterpillar, which had spun a cocoon on his shoulder. Temugin made a caustic remark about the caterpillar resembling Happy's eyebrows and the big boy looked hurt.

"I'm gonna be like Mothman!" Tony exclaimed excitedly.

Tricia sighed to herself. _Time to start being an adult again, I guess. _"Put that cocoon outside, Tony. That's not how Mothman works."

Tony frowned. "You don't know that for sure, Miss Trish. I'm gonna get wings!"

The little Khan was confused with this topic of conversation. "Who or what is Mothman?"

Immediately he realized he had made a mistake in asking and was swarmed by a dozen of his classmates.

"Mothman is a legend!"

"He's not real!"

"He is so! He's half human and half moth!"

"The FBI is investigating-"

"-lives in West Virginia!"

"There's a statue!"

"Lots of people have seen it!"

"The aerodynamics involved-"

"He causes car crashes!" Happy burst out over everyone else. The class glared at him, teacher included. He became uneasy and quieted down, receiving a reassuring hug from Pepper.

Temugin paled. "He-He does!?" The one person alive he cared about and who cared about him spent most of her time driving. He didn't want to lose her. "I'll get him! When I grow up, I'm gonna hunt down Mothman and..and...defeat him!"

Pepper rewarded him with a smile while the rest of the class looked skeptical.

Tricia clapped her hands. "That's enough, guys, it's nap time."

* * *

Winnie and Rhodey were first to fall asleep, back to back. Winnie took Rhodey's blanket but he was too asleep to notice, sucking his thumb as he dreamed. Pepper fell asleep quickly too. Tony was wide awake, formulating how to make an alarm clock hover with just gum, a Play Skool screwdriver he snuck in, and his intellect. It worked, naturally, but the teacher confiscated it because such things were not allowed indoors. Tiny Tony pouted sadly for the rest of his nap.

The young Khan was finding it hard to get to sleep while visions of what he moth creature might do filled his head. Happy Hogan tried to sleep back to back with the boy he thought to be pretty with limited success. After figuring out what Hogan was trying to do, Temugin picked up his mat and blanket and moved to the other side of the room while Happy cuddled the pillow the future Mandarin left behind. Temugin shuddered.

He notice the space next to Pepper Potts was empty, as Tony Stark had snuck behind the teacher's desk and took some paper clips and dental floss. That boy was odd, even for an American. Quietly as possible, he laid down his mat and curled under the blanket. Feeling reassured that he was finally safe, he fell asleep.

Pepper woke up because she thought she heard someone talking to her and was surprised to see Temugin Khan beside her, talking in his sleep.

"_Wo ai ni, niang," _the boy whispered. Pepper froze, afraid she'd wake him and he said it again.

"_Wo ai ni, niang. Wo__ xiang nian ni, niang."_

Pepper didn't recognize the funny words but she knew a bad dream when she heard it. She cautiously leaned forward and smoothed Temugin's hair, whispering soothingly. "It's okay, Tiny Gene. You're okay."

Her words seemed to do the trick and he settled into a deep sleep. She decided she liked him. He was weird.


	2. Part Two

_Author's Note:_ _Magnusrae pointed out something I should have thought of myself. Here is a translation of the Chinese used:_

_Wo ai ni=I love you_

_Niang=Mother_

_Wo xiang nian ni=I miss you_

_Shao zhu=Young master_

_Xiao bi=Little King_

_Sifu=Teacher_

_Hope that clears everything up! Special thanks to all my international visitors as well. Thanks for reading!_

_Keep reading and reviewing, I appreciate it.  
_

**Iron Man: Kindergarten Adventures**

**Part Two**

By the end of the first week of school friendships were being formed, enmities established, each child was forming his or her own niche in class. And there was an alleged cootie outbreak, firmly brought down by Miss Trish and class wide inoculation via "the cootie shot".

Temugin had been trying all week to get the pretty red haired girl alone but she seemed more eager to make friends with _every _child in the class, even that caterpillar-eyebrow-ed, rectangle-shaped boy. No!

He wanted her to be _his _friend! He didn't want to have to share her with anyone...except perhaps Miss Trish. And that Stark boy. He was smart and naive, so he could prove useful. That and...there was something about the way the other boy truly seemed to enjoy life. Temugin envied that ability as much as it fascinated him. He could do without that Rhodey boy, who seemed to jealously guard his friend. Temugin scoffed. What did that Rhodes boy think he was? A superhero? A parent? Ha. Winnie was all right, so she could stay.

He tried sitting with her during art time...and got stuck with Happy. At lunchtime, he found himself between her...and Happy, who tried unsuccessfully to trade lunch with him. That creepy child ate far too much sugar. Why could he take the hint Temugin didn't like him and just _go away? _But Temugin did get a chance to talk to Pepper for a few minutes. He only wished he had had something more interesting to say.

"Pepper?"

She looked at him curiously. "Yes, Tiny Gene?"

She wouldn't stop calling him that. What once irritated him now seemed oddly endearing, like their own private joke.

"Why are you named Pepper? Do you parents really like the spice? Or the soda?"

The red head scrunched up her little face in thought. "I don't know. I never really thought about it. Daddy says I'm really full of 'pep' . I think that's like energy. Yeah, I'm full of energy!"

"It's kind of a silly name," Temugin teased, feeling more relaxed with their friendship. Friends teased each other, he saw Stark and Rhodey doing it all the time.

Pepper's smile faded and she looked stricken. "Silly?" She stood up and backed away from the lunch table. Temugin knew he'd said the wrong thing when he saw how pale she was. "You think I'm silly?"

Conversation around them stilled and Happy, Rhodey, Tony and Winnie all stared at him. Rhodey looked angry, Tony speculative, and Winnie and Happy puzzled. Temugin scrambled to explain himself.

"No! It was a joke! I'm sorry!" Tiny Gene felt a pain in his tummy like he did when he did something really bad. He'd hurt Pepper's feelings.

"It wasn't funny," Pepper told him in a quiet voice and ran to the bathroom in tears. Everyone started at him.

"Way to go, stupid head," Rhodey told him. Winnie looked at all of them and then followed Pepper into the bathroom.

* * *

Temugin had his chance to make amends with his favorite classmate at recess. He'd noticed she'd applauded when Tony and Rhodey blew gigantic bubbles with their bubblegum. She'd laughed especially hard when Tony, in an attempt to blow an especially big bubble, had it blow up, literally, in his face. All over his face. She'd laughed and hugged the disappointed boy until he felt better.

That was it! What a stroke of genius! If Tony had planned that failure just to get a hug it was very clever indeed. And if it had been an accident and Stark was just a...a stupid head...he was an incredibly lucky stupid head.

Fortunately, Winnie Stane had all sorts of candy and gum and gladly parted with a whole giant pack of super bubble gum once he explained what he intended. Winnie liked for all her friends to get along and be happy. Nice girl.

Temugin did his best to look casual as he strolled by Pepper blowing bubbles. She ignored him, even turning her back to avoid looking at the Chinese boy. Disheartened but determined, he blew an fanatically big bubble, sure she'll look at him when she heard it pop all over his face. She laugh and then hug him and they'd be friends again.

Alas, no one told the exposed tree root Temugin tripped over about his amazing plan.

He face planted himself right into Pepper's long red hair, bubblegum and all. She squawked and fell face first into the dirt. He stared in dismay as his mouthful of gum ended up all over Pepper's beautiful firebrand hair.

Temugin scrambled to her side and grabbing handfuls of soil, began giving the fallen girl's hair a rigorous sand bath. She screamed and twisted to get away so he held her down with his knees while he rubbed all the sand in the gum. This just made her struggle harder.

"Stop it! I'm almost finished!" he told her. He could feel the gum start to loosen and...

"Miss Trish! Temugin's killing Pepper!" Rhodey rushed forward and tried to pull the Chinese boy off the fallen girl. Temugin pushed him and the other boy fell down. Tony rushed to his friend's side and pulled him to his feet. Temugin opened his mouth to try and explain to the Stark boy what he was trying to do when he was suddenly jerked into the air.

"Temugin! What were you trying to do to Pepper?"

Miss Trish held him. Her blue eyes no longer seemed kind. They were frightening.

The Chinese boy cowered in her arms. "I...I...Pepper had gum in her hair. I was helping."

The teacher stared deeply into his eyes, trying to determine if he were lying. "That's not how you do it!"

Miss Trish tossed him over her shoulder and marched him into the classroom while Rhodey and Tony helped a crying Pepper to her feet. Temugin could see the three of them glaring at him over the teacher's shoulder. He closed his eyes. He really messed up things this time.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Pepper?" Tricia seemed reluctant to proceed, even with the girl's parent's (via telephone), consent.

Pepper glared at the wall and the pretty teacher could swear the Chinese boy could feel the little girl's condemning glare.

"Cut it off, Miss Trish."

The teacher sighed and began snipping, all while listen to the pretty child plan her classmate's grisly demise.

"Well..."

"Um..."

"It's...different," James Rhodes said at last. He felt sorry for Pepper and couldn't understand why the Chinese boy did something so mean. Sure, Pepper talked a lot, but she was a nice girl.

"I don't like it," Tony Stark said before his best friend could shush him. "I liked your old hair better. How long will it take to grow back?"

Pepper's formerly long, beautiful hair was now cut to just below her ears. Freed of the weight of the bulk of her hair, the ends curled about her neck.

"My whole life." Pepper looked gloomy and Tony's statement just made it worse. Rhodey elbowed his friend for his lack of tact. The red head looked ready to cry.

"It's cute!"

The three children turned to look at Winnie, who smiled encouragingly at the other girl. "I think you look good like that, Pepper."

Pepper smiled up at Winnie and stood to give her a hug. The two girls laughed together and just like that, Pepper Potts adjusted to her new hairstyle.

Temugin sweated heavily as he waited for his driver. It was a first for him for he rarely sweated, even in the intense heat of summer. His pride and training would not allow him. Now he had completely destroyed his chance at friendship with the pretty red haired girl and his teacher had given him a note to give to his stepfather. He did not want to think about what Zhang would say to him. Nor did he want his stepfather to know he had stolen a piece of Pepper's shorn hair out of the trash. The man's cruel laughter was more than he could stand.

As he waited he saw Pepper waiting too, a plush doll held securely in her arms. He tried to get her attention but the one time their eyes accidentally met, she glared at him and her hatred burned with the fire of a thousand suns.

The boy was feeling frustrated. She was ignoring him again! He decided he'd steal her doll to get him to at least _look _at him. How could he apologize to her if she wouldn't even pay attention?

Silently, he crept up on her and then quickly snatched the cloth doll from her arms. She looked at him, body tensed and for a horrible moment, he thought she was going to hit him. He instinctively took a defensive stance when the little red haired girl burst into tears.

It was of course at this time Tony Stark decided to stick his nose into other people's business. Like always.

"Hey! You'd better give her back her dolly, _Tammy Jean!"_

Temugin _hated _being called that. "Or what, Stark? What are you going to do? Call your mom?"

Tony was surprised when his demand met with resistance. No one ever denied him anything. "Yeah...I'll call my mom!"

And the boy _could. _That rankled the Chinese boy for some reason. Probably because he no longer could. "Fine. Be a baby. Call your mom!"

Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny walkie-talkie. Pushing the on-button, he opened his mouth and yelled, "_MOM!"_

Temugin smirked and crossed his arms when at first nothing happened. Then the earth shook around them as a four foot armored...person...approached. Even Pepper stopped crying to stare in awe.

The silver person approached them and even through the metal mask, the last Khan could feel an angry gaze nearly searing his skin.

"Who are you?" he asked finally.

The little metal person put its hands on its hips. "I'm Tony's _mom._"

That was impossible. The person was far too short. And a boy. That was important.

"Boys can't be mommies!" Temugin was fairly certain on this point.

The metal person leaned down, grabbed him by his shirt and menaced, "Oh yes they _can_!"

"Okay!" the Chinese boy answered meekly and was released.

Tony and his armored friend, probably Rhodes, stared at him angrily. "Now, apologize to Pepper!" Tony ordered.

It was on the tip of the Chinese boy's tongue to tell the arrogant boy to shut up but he saw the dried tears on the pretty girl's face and felt like the dirt in Pepper's hair. He approached her and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, Pepper."

He was so busy trying to look truly sorry he didn't notice Pepper's suddenly angry face and her clinched fist.

So the blow to his stomach came as a complete surprise.

All the air whooshed out of his lungs as he fell to the ground, mentally and physically stunned. He pulled himself up on his knees and stared up at the furious girl who hit him.

The three boys stared at Pepper, shocked that such violence lurked beneath her easygoing exterior.

Tony hesitantly laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Pepper..."

The girl shook his hand off and grabbed a handful of dirt off the ground. She threw it in Temugin's face before anyone could react.

"If you're really sorry, then go away and die, stupid head!" she yelled and stalked off as her father's car pulled up.

The three boys stared at her, easily overhearing her surprised father's question about her lack of hair.

"Girls are...scary....and dangerous", Temugin managed at last. "I think they may be the scariest, most dangerous things on the planet."

Tony added his agreement. "I think I'll stay away from them until I'm taller than them."

Rhodey didn't add anything to the conversation. He'd nearly wet his armor he was so scared by his friend's sudden violent tendencies.

Temugin looked at Tony in wonder. Indicating the armored kindergartener, he asked, "Besides Rhodey, how many mommies do you have?"

If Tony was surprised the Chinese boy had figured out the identity of his protector, he didn't show it. "I have my real mommy, Rhodey's mommy is kinda like a mommy, and Rhodey."

"Wow."

"Yeah. It's a lot. I love my mommy best but Rhodey's mommy and Rhodey are good too."

The three boys looked at each other, having gained mutual understanding, if not friendship. Finally, Temugin's limo pulled up and his driver got out to open the door for him. Drama over, Tony and Rhodey wandered off to find a place to remove the black boy's armor.

The female driver noticed the note from his teacher in his hand. "May I see that, Master Khan?"

Reluctantly, he handed the paper to the woman and cringed at her mildly disappointed face. "Lord Mandarin shall never see this, _xiao bi_. I have his seal and will sign his name on your behalf. Please ensure such behavior never happens again. You must always act with the dignity of a Khan. Do you understand?"

Temugin nodded hurriedly and the trip home was conducted in silence.

* * *

The Chinese boy spent an agonizing weekend wondering whether or not anyone, especially Pepper, would talk to him on Monday. Winnie, Tony, even Rhodey were extra nice to him that morning, perhaps in sympathy, because Pepper still wasn't talking to him. Happy was his usual annoying self, except he gave Temugin two apples as a present. "My mom read a book about China and it said fruit is a good gift...uh...given in even numbers! Enjoy, Tammy Jean!" The rectangle boy seemed proud of himself.

Temugin quickly snatched the fruit from the bigger boy's hand, stashed it in his desk, and stared at nothing. Miss Trish stepped into the room and class began.

* * *

Everything seemed normal until recess until Miss Trish stopped him from stepping out onto the playground and instead, led him to a new room. He sighed. Well, in light of his behavior on Friday, it was only logical that he'd be denied play time.

In the room was a single round table covered with a lacy pink tablecloth and set for tea with plastic tea service. There were five chairs around the table but three were occupied by stuffed animals wearing top hats or ruffly dresses. The boys lips curled in distaste and he nearly felt sorry for the poor tortured toys.

He was so engrossed in inspecting the table he didn't hear the door open until it closed. He turned, embarrassed. Clearly he was becoming lax in his training if anyone could catch him unaware.

Pepper stood there, her hair covered by a pink and white bonnet and she wore a matching dress decorated with row after row of lace. The Chinese boy covered his mouth with his hand to hide a smile. She looked like the picture of Little Bo Peep from the book Miss Trish had read in class that day.

The red head noticed his amusement and held out her hands with a smirk. "Like my dress, Tiny Gene? I have one for you, too."

He looked down.

It was yellow.

He hated yellow.

* * *

"I say, it is a lovely fall day, isn't it, Miss Agatha?"

"Oh, yes! It's a lovely day for a picnic, Lady Potts!"

"Reverend, are you enjoying your tea?"

"Why, yes, Lady Potts. My tea is quite delicious."

"Would anyone like more crumpets?"

"Oh yes, please!"

Temugin watched in amazement and dread as Pepper provided voices for the stuffed animals, deepening her voice for the male bear and increasing the pitch for the female cat and elephant. His ancestors had prided themselves on perfecting the art of torture. They were wrong, very wrong. The past thirty minutes he had spent playing an elderly lady named "Missus Higglebottom" were excruciating. Not even Zhang could think of something that was as painful and delightful as Pepper Potts' Tea Time. He promised himself he would stay away from her forever and ever if she would just let him go. Now he understood how an animal could gnaw its own leg off to escape a trap.

"And now it's time for Missus Higglebottom's special treat!"

Pepper triumphantly placed a large cookie on his plastic plate. It was golden brown and studded with raisins. It smelled wonderfully of cinnamon and nutmeg but he was understandably skeptical. It would not surprise him if the baked treat contained chili peppers or a laxative.

Temugin eyed it warily. "Is it...poison?"

Pepper frowned. He was saying weird things again. "No, it's oatmeal raisin. I made them with my mommy."

_Well, aren't you lucky _he thought bitterly and cautiously took a bite. He chewed several times and swallowed. When he didn't keel over dead or feel nauseous he told her, "It's good."

A smile lit up her face and he knew he had said the right thing. "Really? Do you want another one?"

"NO! Uh...I don't want to spoil my dinner. My stepfather wouldn't like it." Zhang would be...upset if he didn't finish his plate. He would either force him to eat rice porridge for a week or take out his anger on the cooking staff. Temugin didn't want to get anyone in trouble or incur Zhang's wrath.

Pepper nodded. "Yeah. Mommy and Daddy don't want me eating too many snacks before dinner either. I'll bring you another one tomorrow. It'll be chocolate chip."

"Uh...good?" He thought for a moment and then asked; "Does this mean we're friends again?"

She shrugged. "I guess." She glared at him. "I was really mad at you about my hair and my doll. Then, I figured out the gum was an accident and the rest was just 'cause you wanted attention. Just ask next time if you want to play with me, silly head."

_From 'stupid head' and a punch in the stomach to 'silly head' and a cookie. It's a start._

They sat in silence while the Chinese boy finished his treat.

"Hey, um...Temugin?"

"Yes?" He was amazed she'd finally pronounced it right.

Pepper rubbed her shoulder thoughtfully and said, "Your name is...kinda long. Can I just call you Gene? Gene's a nice name."

"I...guess. But only here. Not in class and not in front of your friends."

"Why?"

_Because I want you all to myself. _"Because...they might make fun of me. And my stepfather wouldn't like it. He's kind of old-fashioned."

"Oh. OK." Pepper accepted his explanation and waited outside for him to change clothes. Together they walked back to class. Pepper grabbed his hand and began skipping. He smiled at her, relieved that they were friends once again. He began humming the song Miss Trish was teaching them.

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

The rest of the day passed without incident. Everyone seemed glad the two were friends again and Khan waited with Pepper for their rides. His driver gave Pepper a slight smile as she opened the door for her young master. The red head smiled back.

Xin Zhang was at the shop when he got there, checking the bookkeeping for errors as the Tong accountant looked on warily. Satisfied, the old man closed the book, dismissed his relieved accountant, and peered over the counter at his stepson.

"Well, boy? What have you been learning from your decadent Western education?"

Temugin took the question seriously. The Mandarin's words carried a deeper meaning than their face value would imply.

"I have learned Western children are soft and coddled. They disrespect the teacher, who allows such behavior. Also, I am in a class with the daughter of an FBI agent, the son of a lawyer, two children whose fathers work at Stark International and...a drooling idiot."

Zhang nodded his approval. "These are important contacts who will aid you in the future, boy. Anything else of interest?"

"Girls are scary creatures and should be avoided whenever possible."

The false Mandarin grunted an affirmative, almost looking amused. "You show a wisdom greater that some grown men, stepson. There is a reason there are so few women in the Tong. They are distractions whose only worth is bearing sons."

Temugin thought for a minute and then said; "Tony Stark has three mommies and one daddy."

"I...see. You may go."

Hearing his dismissal, Temugin bowed and quickly went to his room to prepare for lessons with his _sifu_.

Waiting until he thought the boy could not hear him, Xin Zhang muttered under his breath, "Lucky Daddy."


	3. Part Three: Finale

_Author's Note: __Here it is, the last part. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading!_

**Iron Man: Kindergarten Adventures**

**Part 3: Finale**

The classroom buzzed with excitement and no one wanted to sit in their chairs. Temugin was very confused; what exactly was going on? He hadn't seen so much excitement since Zhang announced a one-percent raise. Was the president in town, or was it Pizza Day?

Reluctantly, he nudged Happy in the ribs with his elbow and whispered, "What's going on?"

The bigger boy didn't seem offended at the nudge. "You're _dumb_, Tammy Jean." Happy pulled the squirming Mongolian boy closer and said in a stage whisper, "The Hulk is on the loose."

Everyone at Tony's quad heard what Happy said. Tony twisted in his seat and addressed Temugin. "The Hulk is just a...um...story. He's not real."

"You think _Mothman _is real," Rhodey reminded him.

"Mothman _is _real. The FBI has a file on him. SHIELD too." And if the FBI and SHIELD thought the mythical monster real enough to rate a file, that was all the evidence Pepper needed. She rubbed her chin with her knuckles in an unconscious mimicry of her mother's thoughtful pose. "We gotta prepare for the worst, guys," she told her classmates solemnly.

Winnie looked at all her friends and then said, "Maybe we should tell Temugin the whole story about Mothman." She sounded as serious as a certain CEO.

"I'll do it!" Tony was quick to volunteer. When his classmates huddled around him, he began the tale in the spookiest, deepest voice he could manage.

"Mothman is from West Virginia. He's from a town cursed by angry, dead Indian people."

"Native Americans!"

"Okay. Those guys. Anyway, they cursed the town way way back when, like when our parents were kids. And Mothman is the son of a person and a moth."

"That's not even possible," Temugin said skeptically and was shushed by Winnie and Pepper into silence. He crossed his arms and tried not to look scared. This story was stupid. Not scary. Not scary at all.

"Then a long time ago, some people were driving home and they saw Mothman. He followed them all the way home and landed on their roof. They didn't sleep _all night_. People all over town saw Mothman. And then..."

Tony looked around and saw his audience was hanging on his every word and smiled evilly. "And then, right before Christmas, this bridge collapsed and killed a bunch of people. Two of 'em...were never found. Ever."

Alarmed, Temugin leaned in closer. He should make his driver avoided bridges and such things for awhile so she wouldn't get killed. The girls looked spooked. Happy stared, wide-eyed at the boy inventor. Rhodey looked skeptical.

"It's probably a big bird, like a crane. They've got big wings."

"No, Mothman is real!"

"Real _stupid," _Temugin scoffed, trying to look tough. "That's the worst scary story ever, Stark." Temugin returned to his seat, shaken, but determined not to show it. Happy latched onto him like a security blanket, much to the last Khan's dismay.

Tony still looked serious. "We gotta prepare ourselves, guys, just in case it _is _Mothman and not The Hulk." For some reason, a giant green man seemed a lot less scary than a six foot moth to the tiny genius. "I'll make Mothman traps and give you all one. Remember, Mothman is afraid of fire."

"I bet my mommy has a blowtorch," Pepper volunteered. "I wonder if she'd let me have a taser?"

"That's quite enough." Miss Trish looked at the class sternly. "There's no Hulk and certainly no Mothman. This probably all a mistake, or someone's idea of a prank. Now come on, it's time for Music class.

* * *

The students were remarkably subdued for most of the day. Even at recess they stood around in little groups and discussed what they would do if Mothman or The Hulk attacked their house.

Pepper was prepared with a strategy drawn in chalk on the sidewalk. Winnie clutched at Rhodey's arm but managed to make suggestions. Tony drew blueprints in the dirt for his Mothman traps while the future Mandarin fought off an especially clingy Happy Hogan.

"Let _go _of me!"

"But...but what if Mothman gets me?"

"Moths don't like daylight, you big dumb yak! And the way you're holding on to me, he'd eat us _both!"_

Happy whimpered and turned to Pepper for comfort. She hugged him and cooed as if he were a newborn. The red head glared at her newest friend and told him; "If you make Happy cry again, I'll arrest you for harassment, meanie face!"

Temugin dropped his eyes but refused to completely back down. "Happy isn't a person, Happy is a dwarf. And you're not a police person."

"So? I can make a citizen's arrest!"

"Guys!" Winnie decided to play peacemaker. "Don't fight. This isn't about being mean. This is about fighting giant monsters. We have to take this seriously."

"Winnie's right." Rhodey wasn't sure about the giant monster, but being mean was always bad.

Tony frowned and stood up, wiping the dirt off his hands. He still wasn't sure about the tensile strength of the mechanism versus a flying opponent, but this would do for now.

"We should bait them with honey and mothballs and attach a really really good flashlight, like the one police carry. Then after we catch Mothman, we'll be famous and save everybody!"

"Yeah!" Pepper high-fived him and Temugin decided to go along with it since she was. "So...how do we hold him until we can call 911?"

"Well, the trap will come with a net expelled by pressurized air..."

* * *

Tony ran into his father's office, ignoring Winnie's daddy and breathlessly put his plans for a Mothman trap on his dad's desk. "Dad! Dad! Mothman is coming! We gotta stop him! Warn everybody!"

Howard Stark put down the system specs he was studying and smiled lovingly at his son. "What's this about Mothman? Isn't that just a West Virginia legend?"

The tiny inventor shook his head. "No! He's real and he's been spotted in New York!"

The older Stark raised a questioning brow. "Has he now?"

Tony fidgeted under his father's gaze. "Well...him or The Hulk. But that's not the point!" He rushed on, trying to convince his father. "We gotta be prepared for the worst! So...can I make some Mothman traps? Please?"

Howard was far from convinced his city was in danger from a six foot moth/human hybrid but he wanted to see what his son's ingenuity could come up with. "Tell you what. I have a box of spare parts in my recreational lab. After dinner, you and I will go down there and we'll see what you come up with. All right?"

"Thanks, Dad! Don't forget to carry matches with you! Mothman is afraid of fire. But don't play with them! Bye!" Tony gave his father a warm hug, waved to Winnie's daddy and left to change for dinner.

Obadiah Stane shook his head. "Howard, you indulge that boy too much."

Howard chuckled and made a note to find some matches to keep in his pocket. "Take my word for it, Obadiah. One day, this company's success will come from 'that boy' and what his mind can invent."

Stane knew better than to argue with his employer and only friend. His mouth quirked up slightly in the best smile he could manage. "Yes, you may be right. Whitney tells me the two of them get along very well at school. I'm glad to hear she has friends."

Howard smiled indulgently at the tinge of fatherly affection in the other man's voice. "She's growing up to be a smart and lovely young lady."

"Yes, well, I'm hardly unbiased."

"No parent is."

* * *

"And Mothman is coming! He's gonna bite us and turn us all into Moth People!"

"Mothman?"

"Or The Hulk," Pepper shrugged. One giant monster was just as good as the other.

Virgil Potts was understandably skeptical. "And...what exactly do you think a five year old is going to do against a monster?"

"Not _just _me. My classmates too."

"Ah. A whole _gang _of five year olds. I feel so much better."

Pepper stamped her little foot with frustration. How could someone as smart as her daddy be so dumb sometimes?

"Daddy! This is serious!"

Virgil tried to keep his expression sober but ruined it by laughing. Pepper sighed and stomped off to her room.

The little red head fumed. Daddy _laughed _at her! And she was just trying to protect him! Well, it was up to her to save the day.

Smirking, she opened her box of emergency supplies. There were the matches her parents kept in case of power failure. Next was a can of hairspray her mother would never miss, because they were buy one get one free. There was also a grappling hook with a zip line, a taser, and a small medical kit. Safety first, mommy would say.

Pepper smiled and pulled out the special gift Tony had given everyone; walkie-talkies, just like his. She pushed the button and whispered; "Agent Pepper to Project Mothman. Operation: Ask Daddy has failed. Operation: Beat Up Mothman is now under way. Over and out."

* * *

Rhodey didn't dare ask his mother and father, who was preparing to leave for Germany in the morning, to help him plan for a Mothman countermeasure operation. Tony was crazy and this time he'd pulled in Pepper, who was just as crazy, Winnie, who was too nice to be involved...and maybe that Temugin person. Happy was right out; he couldn't keep a secret and was nice but not smart. Besides, he'd probably cry if he got hurt or if the Chinese boy said something mean again.

But he did hear Pepper's...er...Agent Pepper's "transmission" and sighed. That girl was going to get in trouble and drag everyone in with her.

* * *

The true heir to the Mandarin's legacy had trouble getting to sleep that night. He kept imagining a bridge falling on his kind and caring driver or brave Pepper getting bitten and then turning into a Moth Girl. He didn't want anything to happen to Tony either. None of the possible scenarios were very hopeful.

He finally dozed off and fell into nightmares. Horrible images of his driver's crushed body while he sat helpless but safe in the back seat. His pretty red haired friend's eyes replaced with that of an insect's and growing wings before his terrified gaze. Tony and Miss Trish burning as Mothman set their school on fire...

Temugin screamed in his sleep, sweaty and panting,his heart pounding so hard he felt it in his dry throat.

His bedroom door squeaked open and fearing the worst, he put the covers over his head and pretended to be asleep.

"Is something troubling you, _xiao bi?_"

The voice was female, not harsh, guttural, and male. The figure was swathed in purple so for moment he could not discern its identity.

"_Niang?" _he asked, confused.

The person chuckled, the small electric lantern in her hand flaring to life. He was surprised to see the face of his faithful driver. She looked very different out of her usual black uniform. Her expression was soft and kind.

His driver approached his bed. "May I sit, _shao zhu_?"

He nodded and sat up and she sat beside him. "You seem troubled, young master. May I-"

The woman's soothing words were cut off as her young charge began to cry silently. Her body seemed to move of its own accord and she pulled him into her lap, embracing him as she did so.

"I...I had a bad dream. Mothman hurt my friends. I couldn't save them! Just like...just like..."

She held him closer. "_Xiao bi, _I knew your mother." Temugin looked up at the woman in surprise. She continued; "I was but a young girl when I was called to serve Lady Sarantuyaa, who was then the Last Khan. She was as kind as she was wise and I was proud to call her my lady and my friend. The day you were born was the happiest in both our lives. Now that she is...gone, I have remained among the Tong only for your sake, my lord. Now, you must be strong, as befits your noble blood. Know this; you are not alone. I will guide you where I can and protect you with my last."

Temugin found himself returning the embrace, reluctant to leave the warm circle of his driver's arms. She smelled of citrus flowers, soap, and ginger. The boy felt the tension leave his body as she hummed an ancient Mongolian lullaby and eased him back into a sleeping position.

She rose to leave and was stopped by his small, strong hand. "May I know your name?"

The woman smiled and daringly kissed her young charge on the forehead. "In Chinese, I am called Hinquei. But my Mongolian name, my _true _name," she winked at him conspiratorially, "is Oyuun. I trust you will keep that a secret between us, _xiao bi._"

He nodded solemnly. "I give you my word as the one true Mandarin, Hinquei, I will not reveal your true name to anyone."

Hinquei, or Oyuun, took him at his word and tucked the bedclothes around him. "Rest well, my lord. I am here if you require me."

Reassured, Temugin slept again, peaceful this time. After carefully checking the hall for prying eyes, Hinquei closed the door behind her and returned to her own bed next door.

* * *

As it turned out, the female retainer could have hiked up her nightgown and danced the can-can, for all the Tong would have noticed. They were preoccupied with a very unusual crisis. The search lights that scoured the city for The Hulk _or _Mothman had attracted the latter's attention right to the roof of Xin Zhang's shop. The moth/human hybrid had mistaken the winged dragon on the roof of the shop for a female of its species and was trying to...court the statue.

"What is the creature doing now?"

Xin Zhang felt a migraine coming on. It began as a small annoyance that grew into a spear through the base of his skull. He had a full agenda with his "creative accounting" and monitoring Maggia movement, he did not need some strange monster or a lunatic in a moth suit attacking his legitimate business front.

"It is...attempting to mate with the dragon statue, Mandarin."

Wonderful. No doubt some helicopter full of nosy journalists were filming this attack and his store would end up on the cover of every tabloid. He would be a laughingstock among all his legal business partners and the Tong would see his failure to protect his assets. The Maggia would no doubt see this as a sign he was losing his touch. He would not be surprised if they had sent the beast.

"Drive the creature away! Kill it if you can but for now, get it off my roof!"

"As you wish, Lord Mandarin."

The Tong captain bowed and disappeared. Zhang was sure that would be the last of it until the strange creature crashed into the large glass window of his shop.

He froze, gazing as if enraptured by the hideously fascinating creature. It was taller and broader than himself, the alien features a twisted reflection of human visage. He backed away slowly, the foreign emotion of fear stealing over him.

The beast ignored him and instead began feeding upon an incredibly valuable Sung Dynasty tapestry.

Fear became annoyance and the stiff-necked old man brought his rusty fighting skills into play. He grabbed the nearest object, a heavy metal broom and twirling it, began to attack the winged intruder.

To his consternation and fury, the creature paid no notice of his attacks and continued to feed. Annoyed, he aimed for one of its eyes and was pleased to see the moth being wince in pain.

However, he forgot to keep the broom handle between himself and his opponent and was bitten by the beasts sharp fangs. He fell to the ground in surprise and the beast left its food and stood over him menacingly.

The usurper was fortunate that his personal guard were loyal, if slow and stupid. They surrounded him in an instant and began throwing their metal stars at the monster and succeeded in driving it out of the shop. One of the younger men dutifully cleaned and bandaged his wound. Zhang showed his gratitude by berating the Tong for being slow and incompetent.

Five minutes later he was informed they had succeeded in driving the creature away before the authorities noticed it was there.

With a tired groan, Zhang heaved himself to his feet and wearily made his way to his own narrow bed. He was getting too old for such nonsense.

Xin Zhang made it a point of avoiding his stepson at breakfast. The boy's youth was a constant reminder of his rapid decline towards death, which made him irascible and difficult to see at the dining table.

So Temugin was understandably surprised when he saw his guardian awaiting him, glaring at the rice porridge and deep-fried crullers as if they'd wronged him.

Fortunately the boy saw his stepfather before the old man noticed his presence and bowed accordingly. He pointedly ignored the bandage on the man's arm. "Good morning, stepfather."

Zhang noticed the boy and grunted a greeting. He indicated the setting across from him and Temugin began to eat, quickly and silently, to avoid a lecture.

"Temugin."

The boy cautiously wiped his mouth and answered, "Yes, stepfather?"

The man's beetle black eyes focused on the child. "Did you hear anything...strange last night?"

Temugin shook his head. "No, Stepfather."

If the crime lord was pleased or disappointed he gave no sign. "There was...a strange beast on the roof of the shop last night. It had the wings of an insect yet walked upright like a man."

The boy's eyes widened despite himself and his stepfather could not help but notice. He jabbed an accusing finger in the child's direction. "You know of this?"

Temugin nodded politely. "It was a topic of conversation in my class yesterday, Stepfather. The creature is half human and half moth. He does not fear death, nor pain. Only fire and water."

The boy's head was not as filled with sawdust as he thought. He may yet shape the child into a halfway acceptable heir. "Knowing one's enemy's weaknesses is important. Remember that. Also, there is broken glass in the shop. Try to avoid it as you leave."

So preoccupied with this new intelligence, he did not see the boy's angry expression. "I shall, Stepfather."

* * *

"And then my daddy laughed at me! Laughed! Mothman is on the loose right now! He could raising an army of Moth People as we speak! We can't sit around and do nothing!"

Winnie's pretty face was gloomy. "My daddy wouldn't even listen." She pitched her voice low and gruff. "I am not sending you to school to come home with these flights of fancy, young lady."

Pepper smiled at the fair imitation of Obadiah Stane. "You're really good at imitating people, Winnie."

The little blonde brightened at the compliment. "You think so?"

The red head nodded. "You could act or something."

The two girls were busy mapping out Winnie's Hollywood career when Temugin rushed up to their quad and thrust his small body between them.

Pepper was surprised. "Tiny Gene?" He didn't usually seek out company so abruptly.

Temugin focused on the one person he knew would believe him without question. "Mothman is real," he informed the red haired girl.

Predictably, her face lit up as if he'd given her the moon and she hugged him tightly. "I _knew _you'd believe me!" She stopped and looked up at him. "Why?"

Temugin glanced back at Happy and then lowered his voice. "It attacked our shop." The girls grew excited and he shushed them. "We can't talk here. Recess. We have to plan stuff. Bring Tony and Rhodey. But not Happy."

Winnie agreed. "He'd just get hurt."

The Chinese boy accepted her explanation why the big boy was being excluded. It was better than saying he just didn't like Happy. Everyone knew that by now. Except Happy.

"And that's what happened. Mothman attacked our shop, ate half a rug, and left."

Temugin finished his story for his wide-eyed audience. Rhodey looked skeptical and overprotective, as always. Winnie and Pepper seemed to believe every word he said. Tony frowned thoughtfully. Temugin had no idea what the other boy was thinking but hoped the tiny genius was on his side.

"I have the Mothman traps ready." Tony was trying to sound calm and grown up like his daddy, but inside he was kinda scared. Sure, Mothman was fun to talk about from the safety of the playground but hunting a giant moth person was dangerous. Theory versus practice, his daddy would have said.

"We should meet somewhere after dark. After our mommies and daddies think we're asleep!" Pepper Potts, future agent of SHIELD (in her own mind at least) was too excited to be scared. "We'll lay some traps by those big, big searchlights in Time Square. Then, when Mothman takes the bait, we'll taser him and tie him up!"

Winnie was excited. She worried about being caught but wasn't afraid, not really. Tony was her first and one of her best friends. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. Neither would Rhodey. He worried a lot but he was nice. Besides, should couldn't back out, not with Pepper going. She liked the red head and wanted the boys to respect her for being brave just like Pepper. Winnie wanted to be strong, like Pepper. She might wear a lot of pink, but she wasn't a sissy girl. So there.

This was all wrong. This whole idea was stupid. Not only would they not catch Mothman, they were gonna get hurt. They were gonna get caught, thrown in jail, and worse, grounded. His mom and dad would probably be disappointed, which was worse than a spanking _or _no cartoons. West Point would never accept him now. When he was in prison for the rest of his life, he hoped Tony would be sorry for what his best friend had done to him.

Still...he couldn't let Tony go without him. He might get hurt. Or Whitney and Pepper. Or...Temugin. He didn't really like the Chinese boy but he didn't want him hurt either. They only had his word that Mothman attacked his house but he didn't _seem _to be lying. So Rhodey would go along with Operation: Beat Up Mothman. He didn't have to like it.

Tony struck his best 'leader pose'. "Okay, Pepper, since you're so good at talking, you'll be in charge of coordinating communication. Rhodey, you're our backup. Winnie, since you're fast, you're our scout. Um..."

He broke off as most of his friends were staring in confusion at his big words. Temugin seemed to know exactly what he meant.

"I can cover transportation," the future Mandarin volunteered. He knew Hinquei would be more than happy to help if he ordered..asked her.

"Great. So it's settled."

"Yeah! Mothman's going down!" Pepper cheered and began running back towards class. "Go, Team Mothman!"

Rhodey shook his head sadly. They were doomed.

* * *

At exactly zero-eight-hundred, military time, future agent Pepper Potts repelled herself out of her second story window. It was kinda scary but she couldn't let the team down, right? Besides, SHIELD agents couldn't be scared of heights.

She was entirely clad in black with a matching stocking cap covering her bright hair. She slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and reached in the outside pocket for the walkie-talkie Tony gave her.

"Agent Potts to Agent Khan. Come in, Agent Khan. Over."

"Hi, Pepper."

"Gene! That's not the way you do it!" Pepper hissed into the device. "Do it _right!"_

She could hear him sigh over the channel. "Fine. Agent Khan reporting. Over."

"Agent Khan, what's your ETA? Over."

"If you mean when we'll be here to pick you up, five more minutes. Make sure you're waiting on the road behind you house so no one sees us. My stepfather is away for the night but we still can't get caught. Over."

"Okay. See you when you get here, Tiny Gene. Agent Potts over and out."

* * *

"We're gonna get caught."

"We're _not _gonna get caught! Relax!"

"Someone will _see _us!"

"We're in a limo. Lots of limos in New York."

"My tummy hurts."

Temugin dug into the mini-refrigerator and pulled out a ginger ale for Winnie. She smiled gratefully.

Rhodey sighed and rested his elbows on the mini War Machine armor on his lap. Tony had used some sort of anti-gravity tech to make it light. His best friend was a genius, but he had no sense. That was his job.

"Master Khan, we have arrived." Hinquei slowed the gray limo to a stop near the curb in front of Times Square. Everybody but Rhodey piled out of the limo and gathered their supplies on the sidewalk. Passersby looked over at them curiously but no one approached the strange group. Rhodey ducked down in the backseat and changed into his War Machine armor while Temugin and Tony stood guard. Pepper and Winnie were helping each other strap on their gear. Finally, Rhodey clunked his way to the sidewalk, ready for action.

Tony frowned as he looked over the tiny group. "We're too conspicuous. We need to hurry up and get to the roof of Herald Square."

"I have a way." Everyone turned and looked at Hinquei, surprised that the woman spoke. She smiled slightly. "Master Khan. I have hidden the limousine. Let us make our way to the back of the building. We can find a way to the roof from there."

The kindergarteners followed the driver to the back of the building and looked up at the rusty fire escape with some trepidation.

"We're not climbing _that."_ Rhodey said doubtfully.

"Of course not," Tony told him. "It's dangerous. We'll go up on _this_!" Tony took a silver disc the size of a Frisbee out of his pocket. He pressed a button and it expanded to a disc eight feet across. Handles four feet high shot out of the middle and the tiny genius motioned for everyone to grab one. His friends and the lone adult hurried to snatch the handles and the strange disc rose with them all.

"How is this safer than the stairs?" Rhodey asked as they ascended.

"It's a prototype!"

Pepper shrieked and held on tightly to Temugin, who pretended not to like it. Winnie held on tighter and tried to look brave. Tony seemed amazed at his own ingenuity.

The disc landed gently on the roof near the spotlights. Everyone cautiously departed and made their way near the huge lights illuminating the night sky. Tony pulled a gadget from his pocket.

"This is a power booster. It'll make the lights a dozen times more bright than they are now. That'll bring Mothman here!"

Rhodey's eyebrows furrowed. "And then we can capture him?"

Tony shrugged. "I guess."

Mini Winnie took it upon herself to deliver a reassuring speech while Tony activated his device. "C'mon, guys! We can do this! I mean...no one's smarter than Tony, tougher than Rhodey, or braver than Pepper. Plus, we have Tiny Gene, who knows martial arts, and his driver lady, who's probably a ninja in disguise!"

"Yeah!" Pepper pumped her fist in the air, infected by the blonde's enthusiasm.

"Lin Kuei, actually," Hinquei said to no one in particular. Temugin smirked to himself.

"We can do it! We can beat Mothman! He's gonna-"

Winnie was interrupted as the very creature they had been so confident of defeating landed on the roof, entranced by the light. "He's gonna get us!" She finished nervously.

Tony was near panic. "The traps aren't ready yet!"

"Well, we'll have to do it without them!"

"But..."

"No time, Stark!" Temugin looked over at Hinquei, then Rhodes and nodded. With Winnie scared, Tony being a dork and Pepper trying to shield them both, it was up to the three of them to fight the monster.

And this was why, dear readers, that a plan, a backup plan and a backup for one's backup is so crucial; be it building an empire, being a genius, or fighting urban legends.

Mothman noticed he wasn't alone and enraged, tried to attack the small group. The would-be fighters scattered, Hinquei attempting to pull her struggling charge behind her. Rhodey managed to shoot some of his rubber rockets off but it only angered the creature further. Pepper stood in front while Tony and Winnie tried to get the Mothman traps ready. The monster stepped on two, causing Tony to cheer until Mothman ripped through the binding like cobwebs. That caused everyone to run around in circles, ducking under spiral air ducts and cooling units; objects much too small for their foe to crawl under. Hinquei tried to distract the beast with her throwing stars but its exoskeleton proved too tough for them to penetrate.

Winnie reached into her pocket and pulled out an LED light up ball. She had nearly forgotten about it. Pushing the switch, she, Pepper, and Tony began playing a spirited game of Keep Away that drew Mothman's attention.

The children's game seemed to distract the target and their quick speed and changing positions kept the creature on focusing on any one child. In the meantime, Temugin and the loyal Hinquei were preparing metal cables attached to concrete blocks to hold the monster. All was going well until Tony's mistimed

throw sailed over Winnie's head and the toy bounced down the fire escape.

"Great going, stupid head."

"It was an accident!"

Disappointed that the game had ended, or hungry, the mute menace swarmed Tony and Winnie. The boy tried his best to shield his female friend from Mothman's fury but it took the intervention of the Lilliputian War Machine to drive it back. Angry at being thwarted, Mothman threw Rhodey to the ground.

Tony and Winnie stared in shock before rushing over and helping the armored child to his feet. Pepper seemed frozen in place until outrage on her friend's behalf took over.

"You hurt Rhodey, you...you no-brained, booger face!" she screamed. Scrambling into her backpack, she pulled out a lighter and a can of hairspray. "_This _is for Rhodey!"

As expected, the impromptu flamethrower alighted the monster's face and quickly spread to its wings. It batted at it's face while Temugin rushed forward and pulled the lighter out of Pepper's hand before she could set herself on fire. All but forgotten in the excitement, Hinquei swung the cable/concrete combination over her head and threw it like a bola at the inflamed beast. Defeated, Mothman fell to the ground and Winnie and Tony used some rags to beat out the flames.

"Let's leave!" Tony told his friends and they scrambled onto his anti-gravity disc after leaving an attached note on Mothman and calling 911.

* * *

Later in the limo, Temugin looked over at Pepper with a look of wonder. When everyone else was running around like scared chickens (not him of course), she found a way to defeat Mothman once and for all. She was the bravest girl he'd ever met ever. He wondered if she would marry him.

Winnie was strangely silent on the way home and suddenly began to cry. Rhodey gave her a hug and when she didn't pull away, rubbed her back like he'd seen his daddy do when his mommy had a really hard case.

"What's wrong?" He finally asked.

She looked at him sadly. "I feel sorry for Mothman."

Tony nodded thoughtfully. "Me too."

"You're nuts!" Temugin told them. "That thing tried to kill us! Why feel bad?"

"I think it was lonely," Winnie told him. "That's why it tried to marry that dragon statue. It's the only one in the world and no one loves Mothman."

Everyone was quiet for the rest of the ride. Hinquei glanced in the rear view mirror and allowed herself a small smile. Her young master had certainly cast his lot with very strange children. She hoped it would not prove to be a mistake.

* * *

**Epilogue**

The recovery of Mothman and proof of his existence made national headlines. No clues remained to identify who had captured him. Hinquei was very thorough. None of their parents or guardians had noticed the children's absence that night, much to the kindergarteners' relief.

Howard Stark was driving his son to school as part of their "man bonding time". He smiled at his son in the rear view mirror as the car came to a halt in front of the school.

"Bye, Daddy!"

"Just a minute, son." Tony stopped struggling with the seat when he heard his father's voice. "Yes, Daddy?"

Howard's eyes were serious as he regarded his son. "Tony, I know you snuck out of bed the other night."

A million excuses swam through the younger Stark's head but all he could say was, "How did you know?"

His daddy raised a brow. "You think I wasn't five once?" He grinned at his son's shocked face. "Look, son, I'm not angry and I won't tell your mom. Clearly, you have a new project that you don't want to show me yet. Just make sure you don't invent on school nights. Can you do that for me, Tony?"

The boy nodded solemnly and his dad smiled. "Have a good day at school, son."

Tony smiled in relief and came around to the driver's side for a hug. "Bye, Daddy!" he called over his shoulder as he ran towards his friends.

They were waiting for him. Rhodey, Pepper, and Winnie smiled warmly at him. Even the usually cold Temugin looked more friendly than usual.

He smiled back at them. What was going to happen today?

Tony couldn't wait to find out.

**The End**


End file.
